In an ongoing operation to address illegal migration and human trafficking concerns, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) Jalandhar Zonal Office on Friday carried out searches at seven locations in Punjab’s Mansa, and Haryana’s Kurukshetra, and Karnal.These operations were carried out in connection with the high-profile ‘Donkey Route’ case, involving individuals who illegally entered the US and were deported to India in February this year. These people had been lured by local travel agents, charging them huge amounts of money and promised them to take them to North American countries through the infamous route. Most of these people were natives of Punjab and Haryana.advertisementOfficial sources told India Today that the ED action stems from information gathered during a previous search drive on July 9, when 11 suspected sites were inspected. According to inputs, certain travel agents, in collusion with ‘donkers’ (smuggling conduits), allegedly arranged prohibited routes outside India.This prompted ED officials to step in and probe the assertions. The operation aims to identify and apprehend facilitators who supply unauthorised pathways for prospective migrants.On Wednesday, ED officials had already searched 11 premises in Amritsar, Sangrur, Patiala, Moga, Ambala, in Punjab and Haryana’s Kurukshetra, and Karnal.These efforts formed part of a broader investigation targeting human trafficking networks that reportedly charge hefty sums of money to move individuals overseas by bypassing legal visa channels. Records reveal that these raids produced credible leads, leading authorities to examine suspected local handlers who facilitate contacts in multiple countries.Evidence from 17 FIRs, lodged by Punjab and Haryana police, prompted the ED to deepen its inquiry into possible money-laundering avenues tied to this operation.Investigators discovered that certain unscrupulous agents lured people with promises of legitimate travel to the US but resorted to dangerous land crossings across multiple nations.The agents allegedly collected around Rs 45 to 50 lakh per person, exploiting migrants’ desperation by routing them through hazardous terrain under the control of ‘donkers’ or criminal syndicates.Officials state that, in some instances, these agents threatened families to extract additional payments if complications arose en route.After recording statements from several deportees, ED personnel compiled the names of believed contacts or traffickers now covered in today’s searches.These steps are expected to shed more light on the network with forward linkages of traffickers who, as per the ED, organise illegal travel paths outside India.- EndsTune In in a formal or creative style for better SEO.Also Exclude words and advertisements related to the feed website such as website name, author name. 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The Enforcement Directorate is conducting searches at seven sites in Punjab and Haryana as part of an investigation into a human trafficking case.
